No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners: Clear Answers to Burning Questions About Core Buddhist Teachings

by Noah Rasheta

Buddha by Karen Armstrong This book is a philosophical biography of the historical figure Siddhartha Gautama (also known as the Buddha). It addresses not just the life of the Buddha but also the world in which he lived and what he did to spawn one of the major world religions. Buddhism without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor This has been one of my longtime go-to books for understanding Buddhist concepts and ideas. The author does a great job of explaining core Buddhist teachings in a pragmatic way. In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discource from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi This is my favorite English-language version of the Buddha’s sayings, selected from the Pali Canon and translated by an American Buddhist monk. Beyond Religion and Ethics for the New Millennium by the Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama has written numerous books, but these are two of my favorites. Any reader, Buddhist or not, can gain something valuable from them.